Athletes who went to war

Some gave to their country. Some gave for their country.

As we approach Veteran's Day, a look back at the people who served their country. Here are some of the athletes who believed that their skills between the lines weren't enough.

World War II

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Al Blozis had an excellent year in 1943, and was named to a number of All-NFL first teams. "He could have been the greatest tackle who ever played football," Giants center (1931-1945) Mel Hein said. But the young Giants tackle's life was cut short . In January 1945, Blozis entered combat duty in the Army, having been rejected a few times due to his size. He was in the Vosges Mountains of France, and went off in search of a sergeant and private who went missing. He never returned, and died in service at age 26. The Giants retired his number, 32. He was also immortalized in a cartoon, The Human Howitzer.

Al Blozis True Comics 1946

Joe Dimaggio * New York Yankees * 1930'sbrightflight

Joe DiMaggio served in the Army Air Force from 1943-1945 (age 28-30), but did not see combat action. Instead, he was a physical education instructor in Santa Ana, Calif. and Atlantic City.

His career average yearly stats (.325 / 25 HR / 143 RBI) would have most likely held during those three years spend in the Army. The year before enlisting, he batted .305 with 21 home runs and 112 RBIs. In 1946, the Yankee Clipper hit .290 with 25 home runs and 95 RBIs. One of his best seasons would come two years later, when, in 1948, he hit .320 with 39 home runs and 155 RBIs.

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Bob Feller's Time in the Navyavcvideos

Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller became the first MLB player to sign up for military service in WWII, enlisting in the U.S. Navy just two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, which he heard about while driving to Cleveland to sign a contract with the Indians. He served as a Gun Captain aboard the USS Alabama until August 1945. He earned six campaign ribbons and eight battle stars during his service. After he was dismissed, Feller went right back to pitching, going 5-3 in nine starts at the end of the 1945 season.

Feller later said that he may have won 100 more games had he not served, which would have put him among the top five in all-time wins. As it stands, he won 266 games and struck out 2,581 batters. He also most likely would have crossed the 3,000-strikeout mark.

WARREN SPAHNhilbert space

Warren Spahn didn't even get his first major league win until after the war ended. Instead of pitching from 1943-1945, he served in the United States Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge as a combat engineer. In his first year back, he went 8-5, but won 20 games 11 times between 1947 and 1963. During that stretch, he never won fewer than 14 games. Despite missing those years in his early 20s, he finished with 363 wins, the most for a left-handed pitcher.

65 Year Anniversary of D-Day - Yogi Berra Featureyesnetwork

Yogi Berra, yes that Yogi Berra, helped land American troops on the beach of Normandy during the D-Day invasion, serving as a gunner's mate and launching rockets. He already is considered one of the greatest catchers in the history of baseball, but may be more remembered for his way with words. But watching Yogi speak about D-Day in the clip above paints a different picture of the man who inspired one of the cuddliest cartoon characters of all time.

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This is Jack Lummus. You may not have heard of him, as he played only one season with with New York Giants, in 1941. After the season ended, Lummus enlisted with the Marine Corps.

In 1945, Lumus was one of the first troops to land on Iwo Jima. In 1991, The New York Times wrote about his last military mission:

On March 8, 1945, after a 48-hour rampage in which Lummus was credited with almost single-handedly wiping out three Japanese fortifications, the lieutenant, leading his Marine platoon on a charge against their final objective, shrugged off two hand grenade wounds and then stepped on a land mine.

Lummus died from his injuries.

Korean War

Ted Williams served not once, but twice, in his career. From age 23-26, he served as an instructor for the the naval air corps. During the Korean War, Williams saw combat flight, and successfully landed a badly-damaged airplane in 1953 (he played in only six games in 1952, and 37 a year later). John Glenn, who flew with Williams on a number of combat missions, praised the slugger's military accomplishments after Williams died.

Williams averaged 188 hits per season. If he kept that pace, his projected 4,136 hits would have put him third among all-time hits leaders. Considering that those five years were during Teddy Ballgame's prime, he may still be ahead of Pete Rose.

Vietnam War

Bob Kelsu (Died in combat Vietnam).mpgravenhawk253

Bob Kalsu was drafted in the eighth round by the Buffalo Bills, and played his rookie year for the Bills in 1968. While at the University of Oklahoma, Kalsu was a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps, and after the '68 season, he was enlisted to serve in Vietnam. On July 21, 1970, Kalsu was killed in action when his unit came under attack. Kalsu was the only athlete killed in the Vietnam War.

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About Rocky Bleier: From Vietnam to Football Legendeaglestalent

In 1975, Rocky Bleier was on the field for Superbowl IX, but it wasn't always certain that he would be on a football field to begin with. In 1969, Bleier was shot in the leg while on patrol in Vietnam, and received wounds from a grenade shrapnel. He earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. His leg didn't fully heal until years later; he sat on the bench until prior to the 1974 season.

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Al Bumbry was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1968, but went to Vietnam instead. He was a platoon leader and lieutenant, and had the honor of not having lost a man in combat. He earned a Bronze Star for his service. His rookie year of 1973 was a memorable one, as he took home Rookie of the Year honors.

The War on Terror

ESPN Sports Century: Pat Tillman (part 1)dcinsc7

Pat Tillman played four full seasons for the Arizona Cardinals, and as a safety, had 238 tackles, 1.5 sacks and three interceptions for 37 yards. He was a legitimately good football player -- perhaps a future Pro Bowl candidate. But in 2001, he gave up his football career to serve in the U.S. Army. He was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004.

The Real Pat Tillman Story - In His Own Wordsganjapolice

Krakauer Explores Pat Tillman&#39;s Death And ... - National Public Radio